Field of the Invention
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an armrest, and more particularly to an armrest having a multi-link knob applied thereto, which enables opening action for opening a console storage space after sliding action to be made continuously without risk of injury. In addition, various embodiments of the present invention also relate to an armrest console and a vehicle using such an armrest.
Description of Related Art
Typically, the armrest console for a vehicle is divided into a center fascia section, a shift lever section, and an armrest section and located in a space between a driver seat and a passenger seat.
The center fascia section is coupled to a cluster and provided with various manipulation buttons and the like, the shift lever section is provided with a shift lever for shifting gears, and the armrest section is provided with an armrest for receiving goods and/or supporting an arm or a sliding type armrest.
As an example, the sliding type armrest provides convenience which is enhanced compared to the typical armrest because it adopts a hinge structure and hence enables opening action of the armrest allowing the armrest to be bent backward in order to open a console storage space of the armrest, it adopts a hook structure and hence enables locking/unlocking operation of the armrest for blocking the console storage space, and it adopts a rail structure and hence enables forward/backward movement of the armrest according to the sliding action.
The hook structure, inter alia, adopts a latch-type hook knob that secures the armrest to the console of the armrest and provides console locking force for binding the armrest.
Therefore, when the console locking force is released by manipulating the hook knob, sliding and opening action of the armrest can occur with the armrest coupled with the armrest console.
However, the sliding type armrest also causes inconvenience due to its hinge structure, hook structure and rail structure, though it gives convenience by virtue of such structure.
For example, there is inconvenience due to discontinuity of the opening action for opening the console storage space after the sliding action of the armrest. This is caused because the console locking force that was released at the time of the sliding action is generated again after the sliding action and hence the opening action cannot be made directly after the sliding action. Therefore, opening of the console storage space brings inconvenience because it can be accomplished by following sequentially these actions: releasing the console locking force by manipulating the hook knob, backward movement (that is, toward the initial position) of the armrest, releasing the console locking force again by means of the hook knob, and then action to bend the armrest backward by grasping the armrest and raising it upward.
Most of all, the sliding type armrest has problems that since the armrest cannot be bound after its sliding action, noise is generated and risk of injury is caused.
For example, if the opening action for opening the console storage space is made under the state that the armrest incompletely slides back to its initial position, the armrest erected vertically by the opening action falls down by gravity due to its gravity weight and hence causes interior noise. In particular, since vehicle vibration transmitted to the armrest during traveling accelerates the gravitational falling speed of the armrest, risk of injury to the user by the armrest cannot do otherwise than further increasing.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.